Wrestlers take 5th at Class B Duals; Armstrong wins again

As they ramped up for the post-season, Jefferson High’s wrestlers faced a packed week of dual competitions — and emerged with promising results against some tough competition.

The Panthers hosted Lincoln County on Jan. 23. Jefferson and Eureka have enjoyed some tough duals over the years, and this match-up had the potential to be another great battle. But the Lions jumped out to a big lead before the Panthers started to work their way back.

The highlight of the evening was at 215 pounds, where Jefferson’s Brady Armstrong and Lincoln’s Wes Banks reprised their state championship final from last year. The outcome this time was the same, with Armstrong pinning Banks in the first period. Cooper Mikesell, Mike Richard, Blake Nordlinder and Chrystyan Hogue also scored points for the Panthers, but not enough: Jefferson fell by 52-30.